At 10 a.m. two trains started traveling toward each other from stations 287 miles apart. They passed each other at 1:30 p.m. the same day. If the average speed of the faster train exceeded the average speed of the slower train by 6 miles per hour, which of the following represents the speed of the faster train, in miles per hour?
Correct answer: C. 44
- A. 38
- B. 40
- C. 44
- D. 48
Explanation
The trains travel for 3.5 hours, so their combined speed is 287 miles / 3.5 hours = 82 miles per hour. If the slower speed is s miles per hour, the faster speed is s + 6 miles per hour; hence 2s + 6 = 82, giving s = 38 miles per hour and faster speed = 44 miles per hour. The likely wrong choice is 38 miles per hour, which is the slower train's speed, not the faster train's speed.
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